My daughter and her family need your help. Two years ago, Jamie’s husband, David, was offered a scholarship to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. At the time they were living in Arizona, and David had a good job, but they felt they couldn’t miss this great opportunity! David was interested in Information Systems, and wanted to further his education. So, they packed up and made the long trek to Michigan.

Not very long after moving, this couple found that one of their dreams had come true - after 5 years of infertility due to a brain tumor, Jamie was finally pregnant! They now have a beautiful, healthy baby girl who just turned one, but the pregnancy was the beginning of a major downfall for Jamie and David.

Shortly after their move, David enrolled and began taking on a full load of classes, plus working full time at a job with 12 hour night shifts. Jamie suffers from Major Depressive Disorder and PTSD. Pregnancy, although she had wished for it for over a decade, did not mesh well with these pre-existing issues.

Most of you have heard of Postpartum Depression which occurs after the birth of a baby, but have you heard of peripartum depression? This occurs DURING the pregnancy, instead of only happening after birth. Jamie had this so severely that she very seriously considered suicide, and/or adopting out her baby. In addition to depression which hit very quickly in the first trimester, she also suffered severe morning sickness which resulted in her losing almost 20 pounds and becoming dehydrated and malnourished. She also had severe pelvic pain that can happen during pregnancy and this caused her to be unable to walk for any distance without excruciating pain that left her so stiff she almost couldn't move. She spent two out of three trimesters without health insurance until David had been at his job long enough for them to offer insurance.

David ended up carrying quite a load between full time classes, 12 hour shifts, and a very ill and pregnant wife who was unable to continue her shifts as a bartender. He eventually was also helping care for a newborn as Jamie fought off PPD and recovered from a C-section. He is a wonderful husband and father and is so supportive of Jamie, but this all eventually affected him as well. David has since been diagnosed with Major Depression and Hypertension. With those diagnoses and the responsibilities weighing on him, David began missing classes until he stopped going altogether and had a mental illness breakdown. He was able to go to work knowing he had to continue to feed his family, but he was mentally unable to find the drive to do much else. I'm sure you can imagine what that did to his scholarships.

Fast forward to today, both Jamie and David are suffering with many health issues. Jamie was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2019, but since her pregnancy, she's been diagnosed with a disease called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, Hypothyroidism, two hernias caused by pregnancy, a massive 7cm split in her abdominal muscles, and a liver disease. Due to all of these issues, there are many days where she cannot get herself out of bed, not due to laziness as some have accused, but due to all of these illnesses, pain, and inability to sleep or heal during REM.

Currently, this wonderful couple has been given a notice to vacate the apartment they live in on campus. They're applying for rentals in town and in the surrounding rural areas, but what rentals ARE available cater almost exclusively to students attending the university. Whole homes and apartment units are priced by the bedroom and don't rent to families. They currently have nowhere to go, although they haven't stopped looking and hoping.

Recently, there was a heavy snowfall and while driving back from the grocery store, David slipped on the ice, popped a tire and broke a wheel. They now have to replace all four tires because they have an All Wheel Drive.

David filed their taxes in early February, hoping to receive their refund quickly to help put a security deposit down on a rental. After weeks of being told their refund was delayed, the couple was told the employer had filed their W2s incorrectly! David filed an amended return but was informed by the IRS that amended returns are taking 20 or more weeks to process.

Due to his and Jamie’s illnesses, David was encouraged to apply for FMLA to avoid problems with his employment. David was told that his employer would use up his sick days and vacation days to pay him until his days off ran out. Due to a weekend of intense pain that involved an emergency room visit and a subsequent crash where Jamie was unable to adequately care for herself and her child alone, David used a few FMLA days to stay home and help, thinking he'd still receive a full paycheck. Unfortunately this was not the case and David's paycheck after that incident was a paltry $173 after taxes and other deductions.

My daughter and her husband currently have $80 in cash after her sister sent her a hundred dollars to try to help them out. Although he is back at work full time, they have an entire week to go before David's next paycheck and their car needs gas, new tires, and a new wheel. Their daughter, Adelaide, refuses to breastfeed but also refuses to eat solid foods. The only thing she's eating is formula, which gets very costly very quickly, especially with the formula shortage. And of course they need a place to live. Jamie is searching for remote work to help add to the family finances while staying at home with Adelaide but the next few weeks or even months are going to be dicey for them as they await their tax returns, buy a new wheel, new tires, and search for a house or apartment.

I'd like to raise money for them to be able to move, fix their car, and possibly give them some wiggle room to adjust to a new place.

My son-in-law is a hard worker and a good provider, but sometimes we can't escape the curve balls that life throws at us. They're both being treated for their depression and Jamie is undergoing testing to see if there are other treatments for her that might help her live a little more easily day to day. Unfortunately, I'm not rich, and, while I'm helping out in as many ways as I can, I can't afford to fix their car and find housing for them or pay for a U-Haul or security deposit. I'm hoping all of my loved ones can send a few dollars to them to help lift them out of this financial pit they've found themselves in and are working hard to get out of.

Thank you,

Lori Cecil